It is now the customary practice for a retail grocer to receive meat and poultry products pre-packaged and ready to display to the consumer. This packaging format, commonly known as case-ready packaging, allows the consumer to select among the available choices for a food item that is the desired size and has the freshest appearance, while promoting efficiencies in distribution and display.
The conventional form of case-ready package includes a rigid support member, such as a flat sheet or tray, upon which the product is supported. The tray is usually sealed with a lidding film that is applied over the top of the tray and food product and sealed to the edges of the tray to enclose the food in the package. An absorbent pad is typically placed between the support member and the food product to absorb any excess liquids exuded by the product. Typically, the absorbent pad comprises three layers: an upper layer; a lower layer; and an intermediate absorbent layer that is completely enclosed between the upper and lower layers.
The absorbent pad is normally hidden from the consumer's sight. The absorbent pad improves the appearance of the package by precluding free exudates from gathering in the corners, reducing the possibility of bacterial growth, and reducing the opportunities for seal failure. The presence of free liquids is unsightly to the consumer and may result in the product not being selected for purchase.
Typically, a packaged product containing poultry requires an absorptive pad having superior absorption capabilities. Not only does poultry, in and of itself, exude large quantities of liquids, but eviscerated poultry carcasses are normally dipped into a chilled bath that can add up to 8 percent water weight to each carcass. Current trends in the market include selling moisture enhanced meat products. For example, meat products, including poultry and beef, may be marinated in seasoned liquids before being packaged. As a result, after packaging, the processed poultry and meat products normally continue to exude not only their own natural liquids over time, but typically exude liquids that have been absorbed during the marinating and dipping processes.
Absorbent pads incorporate a number of different designs. The predominant design features an absorbent pad having three layers: an upper layer, lower layer, and an intermediate absorbent layer sandwiched between the upper and lower layers. Preferably, the intermediate absorbent layer is completely enclosed between the upper and lower layers, and the upper and lower layers are sealed directly to one another, so that there is no contact between the food and the intermediate absorbent layer. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,940,621, 5,055,332 and 5,022,945 to Rhodes et al. disclose an absorbent pad comprising top and bottom layers that are made of a liquid impervious film. The films have slits cut in at least one of the layers whereby liquids are transported away from the bottom of the support member and are absorbed into the intermediate absorbent layer. A number of different materials have been used in the absorbent layer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,325 to Simhaee et al. discloses the use of a combination of wood fluff and tissue as an absorbent layer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,039 to Brandt et al. teaches the use of a superabsorbent polymer (“SAP”) to absorb excess liquids into the absorbent layer.
A need exists to provide an absorbent pad that removes excess liquids from within the package at a rate that can be adjusted depending upon the moisture content of the product that is to be packaged so that liquids are quickly removed without drying out the food.